We fight against change, resisting the flow of life to stay in our status quo, our cocoon filled with illusions of security and happiness. We live in a world of ‘if then’. If I only had more money then I would be happy. If I had the right job then life would be good. If only I was loved then life would be meaningful.

We fight to hold onto the past, to hold onto only the positive moments in our lives. We build this illusion that our lives would be different, and happy if we only it were different, or like it used to be.

Yet, life flows. Pain and death are inevitable just as the seasons change.

We suffer in missing this flow of life. We suffer trying to hold onto the attachment of an ‘if then’ world. A world of yesterdays and should have beens. We suffer in resisting change.

Yet, what we do not realize in our suffering is that the obstacle is the path.

This is our journey.

How can we know light if we do not also know darkness? How can we know love if we do not also know hate? Joy without sadness?

There is no destination on our journey. There is no end point. Our path is not straight it has ups and downs, birth and death, pain and happiness, joy and sadness. When we fight the flow of life we try to change nature and the universe itself.

Life happens. Pain is inevitable, we cannot change this no more than stopping time itself. The Dalai Lama stated “True change is within, leave the outside as it is.”

The obstacle is the path. Embrace it, don’t fight it. Give gratitude for these moments, these moments are what make you. There is beauty in every step along the journey, gratitude in our experiences. Give thanks and gratitude for the ability to experience these moments no matter how painful they may be.

This is growth. This expands our circle of compassion and our connection to all living beings. This is putting our heart out, fully open and vulnerable.

This is life, beautiful with all of its warts and changes. When we remove the cocoon of illusion life transforms, and we are free to fly in all its beauty, the concept of good or bad dissipates and we are simply left with this present moment.

Let it rain, feel it, embrace it, and dance.

Call to Action:

Stop resisting, let life flow.

If you feel yourself resisting, find gratitude in the moment no matter how difficult this may be.

An old monk was sweeping the yard in a monastery under the scorching sun.

Another monk passed by and asked him, “How old are you?”

The old monk replied, “I’m seventy-seven.”

“You are so old! Why are you still working so hard here?”

“Well, because I’m here.”

“But why are you working under the scorching sun?”

“Because the sun is there.”

As human beings we have active minds. Minds that view the world in a certain way and impose our will in the way things should or should not be. We voice our opinions, even dictate the way life should be not only for ourselves but the world around us. We are quick to throw stones and in this way of being we miss the world around us exactly as it is…and it is beautiful.

A lifetime of somedays and should have beens turn into a life of suffering, a life of pain in wanting something different from what you have right now. Lao Tzu tells us in the Tao Te Ching:

Be content in what you have;

rejoice in the way things are,

when you realize there is nothing lacking,

the whole world belongs to you.

Your life is a series of right nows….RIGHT NOW….ACCEPTANCE. There is no good or bad just simply what is happening right now….GRATITUDE. Your context creates the rest. Albert Einstein said the most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe. Same universe, simply context. This is our life.

Set aside judgment. Set aside expectations and BE…BE in this moment right now.

I have so much to say, so many years, so many experiences, so many apologies, so much gratitude to express.

First I need to express my apologies. I apologize for the times in my life I have viewed you as an object, as only a physical being on this planet. I apologize if I have ever viewed you as not equal to me, if I ever doubted the powerful being that you are. I apologize for any resentment or shying away from your emotional power. All of my actions were based in fear, and not understanding the divine goddess that you are. All of my actions in the past have been as a little boy.

Life is too short and the world too big to play small, to play in this lifetime as a little boy. I am no longer interested in this role.

I see who you are now. You are a divine goddess, the giver of life, the epitome of nurturing and compassion, the manifestation of LOVE itself. You inspire me to be better. You burn the fire within me and I bow down to you. To ask if you are my equal is an insult to you, and an embarrassment that some on this planet still do not see the goddess that you are. You are beyond my equal, you are my partner as a human being, a joint light fused by the vibration of love. At our root, outside of this physical luggage that we carry and for some reason label with our sex, or our race, we are the same vibration of love.

I grew up with my mother and two sisters and karma has brought me two daughters, and it took until now to finally see the beautiful being that you are. Any conversation holding you back, or limiting you in any way is a dishonor to that which you represent. You are capable of anything on this planet. You are a powerful being that wraps this world in love and nurturing and I am honored by who you are and I bow to you in your grace and power. I love you deeply within my soul for who you are.

To all of the women on this planet, I see you, I see the light and love that is within you. You are beautiful. You are love. You are nurturing and compassion. Thank you for who you are and for honoring this light and power within you.

To my daughters, I love you unconditionally. You are capable of anything on this planet, there is nothing that can hold you back. You are powerful beyond recognition and I will always stand for this within you. I will always love you no matter how you look, or what happens in your life, you inspire me and I am honored to be your father. I am humbled by who you are and who you will be.

To my partner in this life, I am honored to give my entire being and soul to you. We are one. I breathe in your power and love fueled by the goddess that you are. I bow to you and give you my heart, my gratitude and my love. There is no greater honor for me.

To all men, you may comment and make remarks to my words. To this I will still respect and love you no matter what you say. I am not afraid, nor threatened by your fear and insecurities. I challenge you to move beyond being a little boy and viewing women as objects and a threat to you. I challenge you to see the grace and beauty that every woman represents. Life is too short to be a little boy, be a man, and join in union with the sisters of this world.

I thank you for your patience and for my blindness until now. You see, fear is a powerful foe and it blinds us and binds our love. It keeps us small and insignificant and wastes time, and lifetimes.

Hmmm…..really? It doesn’t seem like it at times does it. We have all had our bad days, and challenging life experiences but what about real issues….broken hearts, abuse, and even death. All of this is a learning experience….really?

Our experience of life in this vessel that we are carrying around is simply our context. What if we shifted our context to a context that everything in life happens exactly the way it is supposed to? Everything. What if our context shifted from that of a victim, and of bad luck to that of gratitude for every moment? What would this look like?

If we truly stood in the space of gratitude for every moment and that everything happens exactly the way it is supposed to then our context shifts to one who is always a student, always learning. Every challenging moment turns into a training and development moment for our inner self. This inner self that is so driven to connect back to the source, connect back to love. Standing in this space there are no mistakes or set backs, we simply get knocked down, we learn and we stand up again. The perseverance of our spirit far outweighs any perceived set back. The power of our inner self far outshines any darkness.

Herein lies the missing piece. We are not this bag of bones that we stare at in the mirror. This thought makes me laugh in its smallness. We are powerful beyond measure. We are a divine light connected to everything. There are no limits to our capabilities. The universe conspires for our greatness. The universe is filled with love. Once we let go of our egotistical thoughts that we are alone, or that life is about us, we can connect to this greater source. I am you, you are me. We are divine and we shine bright.

The paradox is in our humanness. Our mind tells us how different we are, and why others are to blame for our lot in life. We point fingers elsewhere, and our mind tries to protect us through fear, and anger and manipulation. Our mind is a strong force pulling us into our humanness and away from a universal connection of love. Deep within you, this is who you are, simply a bunch of vibrating, beautiful energy that cannot be described with words. The word love is an attempt to express this way of being, this light that shines so brightly within every single living being. Yet, we are human. We do make mistakes. Our mind has its way with us and we believe it at times and we suffer. This is our humanity, our spiritual gravity.

In order to free ourselves from this weight, we have to go back to that mirror of ours. Look beyond the flesh and bones. Truly get that there is no where else to look. Go ahead and point your fingers into the mirror as they will keep coming back to you. You alone are responsible for the creation of your life. You create and you choose. Life happens. Set backs are inevitable. People are human, they make mistakes and hurt each other. Death will happen. And……everything happens exactly the way it is supposed to. Doesn’t this thought alone free you from this spiritual gravity?

My pain is your pain, yours is mine. Every breath, every living creature is an expression of me. Any thought or action in different to this is an obstacle to my path back to the source. Any thought away from love and compassion is a thought binding me to suffering. As Buddha stated, ‘we are our thoughts- what we think, we become.’ Our mind binds us to this human baggage and holds our thoughts in anger and fear. Our lives become this. We become a set of thoughts and actions that experiences life through these very near-sighted lenses. Our light becomes dim and even vanquished. Our possibilities become limited. We suffer and become lost.

Breathe. Everything happens exactly how it is supposed to happen. Everything. Put aside your anger, your fear. Let the world knock you down, find gratitude for these moments, and get up. These moments are priceless. As the Tao Te Ching states, we cannot find light without darkness. It is in this extreme darkness that light shines the brightest. With love and gratitude our light will shine.

In this I say to the universe, knock me down as I will simply get back up again. My spirit is insurmountable. I will exist and it is my choice in how I exist. I choose gratitude. I choose love.

I am you and you are me.

Call to Action:

Take accountability for life. It is a product of your thoughts and your actions. There is no where else to look.

Be insurmountable, get knocked down, find gratitude for this moment and GET UP. Always GET UP.

Do ever feel like you have brought your entire past into your relationships and life?

As human beings this is what we do. You could call this emotional survival where we put up walls to protect a perceived threat to our emotional well-being. Something happens to us and our perception of the event triggers an interpretation by our mind. This story now becomes the reality and we bring this forward into our present. subconsciously or consciously we build barriers to ensure this perceived event NEVER happens again. Our mind tells us to never feel this pain again.

Here is the reality. Something happened in our life and it is now over. Almost guaranteed the event was not the traumatic story that we created, but an event that we interpreted with our added meaning. We now live our lives off of these thoughts and feelings that are not real. We live our lives from an event that happened long ago. We carry this forward like a cloak, a mask and we do not reveal our true selves. We hide behind our walls and we wonder why the world seems so distant, why no one gets to know our true selves. It is as if we are walking around with our swords drawn ready to attack at any moment as the world is a dangerous place.

If you perceive the world as dangerous and people as hurtful then you will win this game. Things will show up in your life to prove to you that you are right and the world is out to get you. You will withdraw further and you will create an island behind the walls you have built. You will not create in your life as your mind will defeat everything and label it as impossible. The world will feel heavy and you will hide under all of the baggage you are carrying. You will miss the love and beauty that is in front of you at every moment. Your concern will be on self and these perceived thoughts, feelings and emotions. You will feel lost and defeated and live a life without hope. Life will pass and you will be disconnected from the source.

At our root, beyond these thoughts and feelings we are LOVE. We are all connected as one, brothers and sisters with all living things. In order for us to have this unity and connection we must first clear away all of our baggage. We must first REMOVE the walls that we have built. There is the story of the old Zen master who was visited by a university professor. The professor wanted to know everything the master had to teach as soon as possible. The Zen master brought out some freshly brewed tea and began to pour into an empty cup. Soon, the cup overflowed and the master kept pouring. Finally the professor said uneasily “it’s full, no more can get in.” In this the master was saying we must empty our cup in order to learn. In the context of bringing our past forward, we must empty our cup to come from nothing. It is from nothing that we create. From nothing we can create in any circumstance. Life becomes possible. Energy fills our veins. Our context then becomes who are we NOT todo or be anything in life. Our lives become filled with purpose and intention. From nothing we are connected and no longer have space for past stories and misery. We then can create our world.

The Stephen Mitchell’s translation of the Tao Te Ching tells us the same,

We join spokes together in a wheel, but it is the center hole that makes the wagon move.

We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.

We hammer wood for a house, but it is the inner space that makes it livable.

We work with being but non-being is what we use.

Get present in your life where you have built walls. Get present where you are bringing your past into life and into your relationships. Clear the past and bring nothingness into your life, this non-being is what we use in life. This is where we create, where we can truly be with others and where we are present in the NOW. This is where we come from a place of love. This is our connection.

Call to Action:

Reflect on your life and relationships. Where are you stopped? Where are you bringing your past into these situations? Get present to what you bring into these areas of your life.

Get clear on these matters. Clear the past. Talk to the people involved in these experiences. Get clear on the matter. Take down your walls. Remember until you empty your cup you cannot create.

Bring nothing, bring emptiness into your life and relationships. Actively bring nothing into your life and you will come from a place of presence and love. Anything you want will become possible.

Life is the journey, it is not the destination. From the moment we are born life is a journey filled with inspiration, love, and adventurer. The universe is our playground to explore with childlike curiosity. Every day is a birth, a newness of anticipation in what might be next around the corner… the sights, the smells the touch of exploration. The world is our university to learn, to grow, to be.

How many of us view life in this context? How many of us view life as a playground, as a journey to explore everyday? How many of us are intent on hammering through our task lists, and waiting for the tomorrows that never come? Life becomes routine and ordinary. Curiosity disappears and we lose our childlike excitement and exploration for the world. The thoughts of what might be or what we can create dissipates into our subconscious, drowned in a sea of reasonableness, fear and apathy.

If we viewed the world like a child with the filter that anything is possible, that we can go and do anything that our mind creates then we would jump out of bed everyday. A walk around the block would be a safari in an unknown jungle. We would run, skip, hide….we would play. Life would be our playground. It would be FUN. Exploration of the world wouldn’t be a someday conversation it would be part of our core as if an extension of our being. It would be a ‘when I travel and experience these places’ versus ‘I wish I could travel to X BUT I CAN’T because I don’t have time, money, or fill in the blank excuse for life.’

Two words that should be eliminated from the English language…BUT and CAN’T. These two words are the action of fear and the assassin of HOPE. A child does not see life in this context. They jump out of bed filled with excitement and curiosity. The concept that things in life are not possible are learned through life, through perceived failures or actions from others. This way of being is not at the root of our being. In a space of love and compassion with curiosity as our foundation the world becomes our canvas and we can create any portrait that we want to. We are all Michelangelo and the universe is our David.

I feel an affinity to Jack Kerouac’s OntheRoad having driven across the United States 4-5 times and traveled to many spots around the globe. I drove endless highways without intent or itinerary. I slept in the car showered at KOA’s or YMCA’s. I sat on cliffs overlooking the fingerprints of the Divine. I saw sunsets that took my breath away. I slept in the sand nurtured by the lullaby of the waves. I climbed mountains and heard the whispers of God in the wind. I have met unforgettable people who bleed compassion and love. I have seen the breath of God and felt the touch of the Great Spirit. It is there for all to see if our eyes are open.

This world is an incredible place filled with amazing beings. You have no idea who the people next to you really are, they are up to amazing things on this planet. Your neighbors, people next to you at the coffee shop, these people are truly amazing beings. Explore this planet whether it is your own neighborhood or across the globe. Bring curiosity into this world. Life is THE journey. Take the journey each and every day. Take this stand, you will change yourself and in turn change the world. We are all connected. We are one. The journey is finding out this truth.

Call to Action:

Stop your expectations in how your day, your life should be. Stop trying to get somewhere. You are already here. Enjoy the journey, be present in every moment.

Bring curiosity into your life. Be a child again, jump out of bed with excitement for what you can create for the day, for your life.